Twins Looking For a Power Bat.

[old nurse]

7 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I believe the term Zoll used was looking for a "thumper". Personally, I think that's a poor choice or words. Who might be a potential Cruz sitting out there that we can grab cheaply? I think "quality bat" might be more accurate.

Everyone is going to be sick of me saying this...I'm almost sick of saying it myself...but why not Nathaniel Lowe? He settles 1B for 2yrs at $18-20M, and provides a solid, quality hitter with a career .771 OPS, even though he had a down 2025. (But still provided power and RBI). He's also got a .729 career OPS against LHP so he DOESN'T have to be platooned. Is he a "thumper"? No. But he's a quality hitter with some power and a 12.2 career WAR that fills an important spot in the INF and the lineup.

He's not as "old" as others that the Twins supposedly are interested in, and shouldn't be expensive. And with an undetermined but not large payroll, every $M saved is a little more to be spent on the bullpen.

But speaking of the bullpen...since it's been brought up in this thread about bats...they need TWO solid, decent, veteran additions to just lead the way. And I'm not talking about the inevitable MILB FA fliers they bring in with hopes of finding the next Thielbar or Stewart, etc, who we HOPE they uncover. They need 2 decent veterans to help lead the way instead of just going with rookie converts. 

From the LH side, it's not hard to look at Coulombe, Thielbar, Rogers, or Chafin as older guys who are ALL coming off really solid 2025 seasons. They should cost around $3-4M. Just pick one you really trust for one more good year. Maybe Funderburk's last 2 months are an indication he turned a corner. And maybe Prielipp really does convert to the pen. (There's also a handful of interesting LH arms that might be ready at some point in 2026). But you add the stability of a decent veteran.

From the RH side, I'm just not going to offer up possibilities for the simple reason as there are WAY too many options and tangents of possibilities. We could go all the way from Finnigan being affordable to Pressly having ONE MORE good season in his arm after a good start to 2025 and a lousy finish. But find ONE you think has a good 2026 in his arm, and you really change the complexion of the 2026 Twins BP.

Digressing somewhat, but am I the only one who believes Larnach was offered arbitration to "set the floor" until another bat was added? I remain of the opinion he will be dropped if needed, but the Twins remain hopeful of moving him, and his almost $5M to a team needing a solid LH platoon bat for a prospect(s), or part of a package for someone's young 4th or 5th best BP arm. His almost $5M makes a difference in a limited payroll situation and a crowded OF. I'm hopeful of a smart deal that provides such, but I'm 50-50 a deal for immediate value will happen. So I'm leaving any possible, hopeful addition out of this discussion. (But DAMN, it would be nice if the FO could be creative here!).

FA, FA, Sands, Funderburk, Orze, Topa, Ohl/Adams isn't exciting. But it's not a horrible start. And I don't care about who says what about whom, but SOMEONE from the collection of SP options is going to move to the pen. And while I despise the idea of giving up the potential of a young SP, don't most of us all just recognize that Festa is meant to be in the pen? He's damn near devastating 1 time through the order, good the 2nd time, but then he starts to fail a bit. And while his shoulder issues in 2025 shouldn't be the determining factor, it adds to the ultimate conclusion. I'd STILL have him working on his 2 seamer for an additional weapon, unless they see a better option instead. His FB plays up even better in a short stint. He's got a great slider and a solid change. And he has a deceptive, whip like delivery that doesn't hurt. 

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Matthews or Bradley is the better move to the pen. But I think Festa is on the Duran path.

And Falvey has mentioned Prielipp as a possibility, which kind of kills a hopeful part of me, but I've also started to give in to logic. 

You ADD Lowe, IMO, and ADD 2 solid FA pen additions for a combined total of around $20-22M, with Larnach gone, the payroll still sits at an absurd $105-107M. Frankly, that sucks. $110M allows for 1 more decent pen option, or maybe a better UTILITY option. $115M MIGHT offer both. A $120M, which has been MY projected option all along, might allow both.

While I refuse to escape the ridiculous way ownership is running things, the truth is the Twins DO have talent on hand, even if there were under performance players in 2025. And even though $120M payroll...my hope and expectation...is ridiculously low, they have a lot of low contracts for 2026 with about half of their top 10 prospects about to debut next season to provide both help and excitement. 

Sorry for being so long winded. There's just so many moving parts, even with a limited payroll, that I can see a team in 2 parts with a good rotation, a decent bullpen that might be better later, and a lineup that can be good, and even better come June or July. I just don't see a team that should be dismantled.

If Boston thought Lowe could be the guy he was in Texas they would have tendered him. The only was I would sign him is to a minimal contract with incentives. Something was right with him with that big of drop off 

[bunsen82]

9 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I believe the term Zoll used was looking for a "thumper". Personally, I think that's a poor choice or words. Who might be a potential Cruz sitting out there that we can grab cheaply? I think "quality bat" might be more accurate.

Everyone is going to be sick of me saying this...I'm almost sick of saying it myself...but why not Nathaniel Lowe? He settles 1B for 2yrs at $18-20M, and provides a solid, quality hitter with a career .771 OPS, even though he had a down 2025. (But still provided power and RBI). He's also got a .729 career OPS against LHP so he DOESN'T have to be platooned. Is he a "thumper"? No. But he's a quality hitter with some power and a 12.2 career WAR that fills an important spot in the INF and the lineup.

He's not as "old" as others that the Twins supposedly are interested in, and shouldn't be expensive. And with an undetermined but not large payroll, every $M saved is a little more to be spent on the bullpen.

But speaking of the bullpen...since it's been brought up in this thread about bats...they need TWO solid, decent, veteran additions to just lead the way. And I'm not talking about the inevitable MILB FA fliers they bring in with hopes of finding the next Thielbar or Stewart, etc, who we HOPE they uncover. They need 2 decent veterans to help lead the way instead of just going with rookie converts. 

From the LH side, it's not hard to look at Coulombe, Thielbar, Rogers, or Chafin as older guys who are ALL coming off really solid 2025 seasons. They should cost around $3-4M. Just pick one you really trust for one more good year. Maybe Funderburk's last 2 months are an indication he turned a corner. And maybe Prielipp really does convert to the pen. (There's also a handful of interesting LH arms that might be ready at some point in 2026). But you add the stability of a decent veteran.

From the RH side, I'm just not going to offer up possibilities for the simple reason as there are WAY too many options and tangents of possibilities. We could go all the way from Finnigan being affordable to Pressly having ONE MORE good season in his arm after a good start to 2025 and a lousy finish. But find ONE you think has a good 2026 in his arm, and you really change the complexion of the 2026 Twins BP.

Digressing somewhat, but am I the only one who believes Larnach was offered arbitration to "set the floor" until another bat was added? I remain of the opinion he will be dropped if needed, but the Twins remain hopeful of moving him, and his almost $5M to a team needing a solid LH platoon bat for a prospect(s), or part of a package for someone's young 4th or 5th best BP arm. His almost $5M makes a difference in a limited payroll situation and a crowded OF. I'm hopeful of a smart deal that provides such, but I'm 50-50 a deal for immediate value will happen. So I'm leaving any possible, hopeful addition out of this discussion. (But DAMN, it would be nice if the FO could be creative here!).

FA, FA, Sands, Funderburk, Orze, Topa, Ohl/Adams isn't exciting. But it's not a horrible start. And I don't care about who says what about whom, but SOMEONE from the collection of SP options is going to move to the pen. And while I despise the idea of giving up the potential of a young SP, don't most of us all just recognize that Festa is meant to be in the pen? He's damn near devastating 1 time through the order, good the 2nd time, but then he starts to fail a bit. And while his shoulder issues in 2025 shouldn't be the determining factor, it adds to the ultimate conclusion. I'd STILL have him working on his 2 seamer for an additional weapon, unless they see a better option instead. His FB plays up even better in a short stint. He's got a great slider and a solid change. And he has a deceptive, whip like delivery that doesn't hurt. 

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Matthews or Bradley is the better move to the pen. But I think Festa is on the Duran path.

And Falvey has mentioned Prielipp as a possibility, which kind of kills a hopeful part of me, but I've also started to give in to logic. 

You ADD Lowe, IMO, and ADD 2 solid FA pen additions for a combined total of around $20-22M, with Larnach gone, the payroll still sits at an absurd $105-107M. Frankly, that sucks. $110M allows for 1 more decent pen option, or maybe a better UTILITY option. $115M MIGHT offer both. A $120M, which has been MY projected option all along, might allow both.

While I refuse to escape the ridiculous way ownership is running things, the truth is the Twins DO have talent on hand, even if there were under performance players in 2025. And even though $120M payroll...my hope and expectation...is ridiculously low, they have a lot of low contracts for 2026 with about half of their top 10 prospects about to debut next season to provide both help and excitement. 

Sorry for being so long winded. There's just so many moving parts, even with a limited payroll, that I can see a team in 2 parts with a good rotation, a decent bullpen that might be better later, and a lineup that can be good, and even better come June or July. I just don't see a team that should be dismantled.

The other day we got more info about not only who they have talked to at 1st - Bell, O'Hearn, Hoskins - we also got a salary number - they are operating that they have $20 million they can spend on free agents.  So now we can get a better picture across the board.  

1. First Base - I take O'Hearn (2 yrs 24 million) - he hits the ball he gets on base - he is not a thumper and hits from the left side which likely means he is the most expensive. Last year we were moving to more players with better hit tools, this would be a move in the right direction.   Hoskins (1 yr 6-7 million) - he has upside,  I do think he was hindered with the wrist last year and still put up decent numbers.  He hits from the right side.  As of now I think he is the target.  

2. Relievers - in the current format if its Hoskins then that leaves $13 million for the bullpen. To me its pretty clear they want a closer.    Fairbanks is coming in around $10 to $15 million per a year.  He has a very wide spectrum.  The next option is Jansen.   He had a really good year.  Current projections are $8-$12 million.  At that point you end with a decent reliever possibly a lefty for around $3 million.  

3. I do have a question if they can add to salary if they were to trade a player like Larnach.  I was very surprised when they tendered him.  The question has always been can they trade him for something, or anything.  There is a potential if he was traded and the budget for free agents is around $25 million we could be in play for O'hearn, Fairbanks and a cheaper reliever.   I still think we are a utility player short (SS backup).   

[Riverbrian]

I am not excited about the idea of signing a one year rental at 1B again. 

If the off-season is Hoskins and IKF... I'll probably type complaints on Twinsdaily and I'll assume that we will see the playoffs again when a different front office is hired and leads us there. 

[tony&rodney]

Why does it seem absurd to believe the Twins will sign $13M worth of relief pitching? Duran, Jax, and Varland would have been less than that number and more effective. I could see a couple of $3M signings but will be quite surprised if the numbers go higher. 

So spend some money? Sure. Robert Suarez is older but still a fresh arm. Pete Fairbanks has been consistently solid. Caleb Thielbar and Danny Coulombe refuse to age. They could sign both Suarez and Fairbanks and one of the lefties for about $33M. That's a good plan, which is why it won't happen. Too much money? Move Larnach and Ober or trade Lopez. We can safely say there is zero chance of the Twins adding a strong relief pitcher.

So the Twins are looking for a power bat as well. Will they give O'Hearn or Lowe the 3 year contracts for around $40 total (3/$39M) or wait until another team signs them and say we tried? Yandy Diaz could be traded for as could Brandon Lowe. If the Twins really wanted a first baseman they could press for Tre' Morgan from the Rays. 

Might be time for a poll on Twins Daily .... just for fun.

[Chembry]

3 hours ago, old nurse said:

If Boston thought Lowe could be the guy he was in Texas they would have tendered him. The only was I would sign him is to a minimal contract with incentives. Something was right with him with that big of drop off 

Boston non-tendered Lowe for several reasons:

1. He isn't worth the $13.5M projected arbitration, especially after the first half of the season for the Nationals.  However, he was right back to Texas level production in Boston.  

2. They already have a younger, cost controlled version of him in Casas.  Say what you will about Casas but he has better career OPS/OPS+ than Lowe.  He doesn't hit for as high average but he is more of a pure slugger.

2. They were after Alonso and are pursuing the 2 Japanese sluggers, Bregman, and Bichette.  They have flexibility in their infield to move pieces to fit whoever they sign. 

4. Red Sox have stated they are reluctant to go over the first luxury tax threshold (~$223M).  That doesn't allow them much flexibility (~$22M), and they didn't want Lowe's contract getting in the way of them signing Alonso, Bregman, Bichette, or either of the 2 Japanese sluggers.  They would go over the first threshold to sign a big name FA.  If they do sign a big name FA, they will also trade away Jarren Duran to get back down to the level of the first threshold.  They have also been rumored to shopping Yoshida and Hicks.  Its all laid out in the MLBTR article: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/latest-on-red-soxs-payroll-flexibility.html

 

[tony&rodney]

40 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

 I still think we are a utility player short (SS backup).   

Despite the disdain  shown to him on this site, Tyler Fitzgerald is as good a value as any shortstop that can be signed. IKF isn't very good for the money. Bichette as a second baseman who plays shortstop in an emergency was a responsible choice by a few on this site. Keaschall can slide over to first base. Trading for Jordan Lawler to play SS and 2B is also a possibility. Of course, because these make sense, we know there is zero chance of a Bichette signing and ironically money isn't really a factor if the Twins can spend $115-125M on payroll.

[Chembry]

26 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I am not excited about the idea of signing a one year rental at 1B again. 

If the off-season is Hoskins and IKF... I'll probably type complaints on Twinsdaily and I'll assume that we will see the playoffs again when a different front office is hired and leads us there. 

If we could get one of the FA rumored for 2-3 years at a decent AAV, would you be ok with that?  

Another potential option is trading for Mountcastle.  He only has 1 yr of arbitration left, but theoretically, the Twins could extend him at a reasonable rate (guessing ~$7M/yr AAV).  He is younger at 28 and still has offensive upside and is decent defensively.   

There are so many trade candidates though, it would take a book to walk through them all.  

 

[Chembry]

14 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Despite the disdain  shown to him on this site, Tyler Fitzgerald is as good a value as any shortstop that can be signed. IKF isn't very good for the money. Bichette as a second baseman who plays shortstop in an emergency was a responsible choice by a few on this site. Keaschall can slide over to first base. Trading for Jordan Lawler to play SS and 2B is also a possibility. Of course, because these make sense, we know there is zero chance of a Bichette signing and ironically money isn't really a factor if the Twins can spend $115-125M on payroll.

I saw this last night that the Twins are planning to have Keaschall play the OF some next year.

[Riverbrian]

2 minutes ago, Chembry said:

If we could get one of the FA rumored for 2-3 years at a decent AAV, would you be ok with that?  

Another potential option is trading for Mountcastle.  He only has 1 yr of arbitration left, but theoretically, the Twins could extend him at a reasonable rate (guessing ~$7M/yr AAV).  He is younger at 28 and still has offensive upside and is decent defensively.   

There are so many trade candidates though, it would take a book to walk through them all.  

 

I just hate being in this position at a down the defensive spectrum position and I look at this year as a chance to just pull the brakes on it. 

I understand that teams will plug holes. It's the plugging over and over and over and over and over and over and over that just spoils the mere thought of almost anyone. 

Mountcastle... I don't know if he has the talent to consider extension so he's a one year rental and I'm not sure if Lowe or Hoskins are sensible two year candidates. 

I'm just in a "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO DO" mode right now. Not trading anyone and back to finding this year's Ty France will probably just sending me over the edge. 

Maybe I'll feel different tomorrow.  

 

 

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, Chembry said:

I saw this last night that the Twins are planning to have Keaschall play the OF some next year.

Is anyone else excited to see Falvey use Luke Keaschall like Austin Martin, moving him back and forth between 2-4 positions?

If Keaschall is used as an outfielder there must be plans to platoon the left-handed bats.

Additionally, pushing Keaschall into the outfield pushes back the timeline for both of Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. 

I'm not even sure how the conversations go in terms of player usage. Currently Martin, Roden, Buxton, Wallner, Outman, and Larnach are on the roster as outfielders. Numerous people on Twins Daily as well as others do not believe the Twins should call up Rodriguez or Jenkins even if they are ready. The majority of comments want those two in St. Paul until at least June. Oh, and Gabriel Gonzalez was very comfortable in AAA and can hit MLB pitching now too. Certainly roster construction has baffled this regime for 10 years.

If the Twins really saw Luke Keaschall as a potentially fantastic outfielder, they should move him out there now. Luke is the permanent left fielder. Full stop. That seems ok. What about Larnach, Wallner, Roden, Outman, Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez? At the very least, the Twins should be inquisitive about the value of these players to other teams. Would Miami trade Edward Cabrera for Emmanuel Rodriguez and Marek Houston? Would Pittsburgh trade Jared Jones for Matt Wallner or Emmanuel Rodriguez? Yah, roster construction.

The other hand states that none of these players, especially Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonazalez have proven themselves. This is absolutely true. Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers are the only Twins position players to have proven anything. So that argument is a fail. The Twins need clarity on their path. What is it?

[Chembry]

22 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I just hate being in this position at a down the defensive spectrum position and I look at this year as a chance to just pull the brakes on it. 

I understand that teams will plug holes. It's the plugging over and over and over and over and over and over and over that just spoils the mere thought of almost anyone. 

Mountcastle... I don't know if he has the talent to consider extension so he's a one year rental and I'm not sure if Lowe or Hoskins are sensible two year candidates. 

I'm just in a "WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO DO" mode right now. Not trading anyone and back to finding this year's Ty France will probably just sending me over the edge. 

Maybe I'll feel different tomorrow.  

 

 

I get it...

I do view the current FA that are being pursued as upgrades over guys like Ty France, Carlos Santana, Michael Toglia, and many others. 

We do differ a bit on Lowe and Mountcastle. I do see them as decent 2-3 year candidates, with options.  I don't see Hoskins in that light though.  That would allow stabilization of the position and give Mendez time to develop.  If Mendez develops faster, then we have options to get out of the contract.  Just food for thought. 

[bunsen82]

11 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Is anyone else excited to see Falvey use Luke Keaschall like Austin Martin, moving him back and forth between 2-4 positions?

If Keaschall is used as an outfielder there must be plans to platoon the left-handed bats.

Additionally, pushing Keaschall into the outfield pushes back the timeline for both of Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. 

I'm not even sure how the conversations go in terms of player usage. Currently Martin, Roden, Buxton, Wallner, Outman, and Larnach are on the roster as outfielders. Numerous people on Twins Daily as well as others do not believe the Twins should call up Rodriguez or Jenkins even if they are ready. The majority of comments want those two in St. Paul until at least June. Oh, and Gabriel Gonzalez was very comfortable in AAA and can hit MLB pitching now too. Certainly roster construction has baffled this regime for 10 years.

If the Twins really saw Luke Keaschall as a potentially fantastic outfielder, they should move him out there now. Luke is the permanent left fielder. Full stop. That seems ok. What about Larnach, Wallner, Roden, Outman, Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez? At the very least, the Twins should be inquisitive about the value of these players to other teams. Would Miami trade Edward Cabrera for Emmanuel Rodriguez and Marek Houston? Would Pittsburgh trade Jared Jones for Matt Wallner or Emmanuel Rodriguez? Yah, roster construction.

The other hand states that none of these players, especially Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonazalez have proven themselves. This is absolutely true. Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers are the only Twins position players to have proven anything. So that argument is a fail. The Twins need clarity on their path. What is it?

Roster construction is a mess right now.  No way around it.  Moving Keaschall just seems to open more questions.  So if Keaschall goes to the OF, who plays 2nd - Julien (yuck), Clemens if sign 1st baseman, utility signee,  Larnach is getting traded.  To me they should have just cut bait earlier,  but they seem to think they can get some value for him  I just don't see it.  

As to the rookies,  Gonzalez needs a little more run at AAA.  Rodriguez should be the one up but injuries have slightly derailed it.   If Rodrigues looks like he is winning the left field competition,  this current Keaschall to OF trial will likely go to the wayside.  I really want to run with one of the rookies this year from the start of the season and see if they can be rookie of the year.   That is Rodriguez.  I would hope Gonzalez would get a bump with his excellent season,  but as of now with the updated lists he hasn't jump to the top 100 on 2 of the lists.  

[tony&rodney]

2 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Roster construction is a mess right now.  No way around it.  Moving Keaschall just seems to open more questions.  So if Keaschall goes to the OF, who plays 2nd - Julien (yuck), Clemens if sign 1st baseman, utility signee,  Larnach is getting traded.  To me they should have just cut bait earlier,  but they seem to think they can get some value for him  I just don't see it.  

As to the rookies,  Gonzalez needs a little more run at AAA.  Rodriguez should be the one up but injuries have slightly derailed it.   If Rodrigues looks like he is winning the left field competition,  this current Keaschall to OF trial will likely go to the wayside.  I really want to run with one of the rookies this year from the start of the season and see if they can be rookie of the year.   That is Rodriguez.  I would hope Gonzalez would get a bump with his excellent season,  but as of now with the updated lists he hasn't jump to the top 100 on 2 of the lists.  

There are endless options. My frustration as a fan is that the Twins seem to get completely locked in on their own guys to the exclusion of the limitless options. Then as a predictable ending, the Twins add some tired vet at a bargain who is touted as a savior. It's not the vets fault and many have done pretty good. Problem is that "pretty good" seems to be the absolute best hope from the front office.

We hear the Twins can have a payroll around $120M. It sits at $96M now. Luke is the new left fielder with Byron in CF and Walker in RF (he is ready). Wallner is the DH. Roden and Martin are in the OF. The new 2B is Bo Bichette on a 9/$225M contract with $7M deferred. Larnach is traded even though I think he has value. Emmanuel is traded for Jared Jones or Edward Cabrera or even Tre' Morgan. Ober is traded for Lawler. Three or four trades is not crazy or impossible. There are a multitude of possibilities but it requires proactive thinking and a willingness to act. The payroll budget is not an impediment. Roster construction needs to be a priority. You will know that if Outman is on the roster come April. FWIW, I like some things about Outman, but there isn't room on my roster for him.

[Riverbrian]

30 minutes ago, Chembry said:

I get it...

I do view the current FA that are being pursued as upgrades over guys like Ty France, Carlos Santana, Michael Toglia, and many others. 

We do differ a bit on Lowe and Mountcastle. I do see them as decent 2-3 year candidates, with options.  I don't see Hoskins in that light though.  That would allow stabilization of the position and give Mendez time to develop.  If Mendez develops faster, then we have options to get out of the contract.  Just food for thought. 

I try to stay out of discussing individual assessments. You could be right. 

I also realize that anybody brought in on a one year contract can turn it on for half a year like Bader did and then traded at the deadline for Mendez. There is value in that. We don't even have Mendez if Bader wasn't brought on board.  

It just doesn't happen like that typically and I'm personally not willing to look at all our chips in Mendez getting here and getting it done. I prefer to run more options at the problem. Meaning... I sure would like them to trade for a younger prospect with big bang potential but it'll be hard to get that guy if our trade chips are going to stay with the club. 

So I'm left with... Do I like Mountcastle over Clemens and Julien. Yeah...I might like him better but do I like him enough over those two to make up for the difference of needing to repeat the process again in 2027. 

All I can do is be patient and save my complaints to the finished product but that's hard and it's the premature concerns that are leaking out of my fingertips.  

[Chembry]

36 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Is anyone else excited to see Falvey use Luke Keaschall like Austin Martin, moving him back and forth between 2-4 positions?

If Keaschall is used as an outfielder there must be plans to platoon the left-handed bats.

Additionally, pushing Keaschall into the outfield pushes back the timeline for both of Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. 

I'm not even sure how the conversations go in terms of player usage. Currently Martin, Roden, Buxton, Wallner, Outman, and Larnach are on the roster as outfielders. Numerous people on Twins Daily as well as others do not believe the Twins should call up Rodriguez or Jenkins even if they are ready. The majority of comments want those two in St. Paul until at least June. Oh, and Gabriel Gonzalez was very comfortable in AAA and can hit MLB pitching now too. Certainly roster construction has baffled this regime for 10 years.

If the Twins really saw Luke Keaschall as a potentially fantastic outfielder, they should move him out there now. Luke is the permanent left fielder. Full stop. That seems ok. What about Larnach, Wallner, Roden, Outman, Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez? At the very least, the Twins should be inquisitive about the value of these players to other teams. Would Miami trade Edward Cabrera for Emmanuel Rodriguez and Marek Houston? Would Pittsburgh trade Jared Jones for Matt Wallner or Emmanuel Rodriguez? Yah, roster construction.

The other hand states that none of these players, especially Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonazalez have proven themselves. This is absolutely true. Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers are the only Twins position players to have proven anything. So that argument is a fail. The Twins need clarity on their path. What is it?

Personally, I don't like Keaschall moving to the OF.  These types of plans may never see the field, but it does bring questions as to roster construction.  How can they keep Buxton, Martin, Roden, Wallner, Larnach, Outman on the roster then?  Short answer is, they can't.  There is no way the Twins carry 7 OF into opening day 2026, plus have room for Jenkins, Rodriguez, and/or Gonzalez at some point next year.  

I do believe, Larnach will be traded.  I also believe the Twins will release Outman.  Wallner will serve as the primary DH.   That leaves Buxton, Martin, and Roden as your starting OF with Wallner as 4th OF.  I also believe the Twins may explore trading Wallner or E-Rod.   

Sounds like the Twins wanted to play Keaschall in the OF this year, but the broken forearm and TJ surgery didn't allow that to happen.  There are people in the Twins organization that believe he is a better OF than 2nd baseman.  Keaschall played quite a bit of OF in the minors.  My guess right now is Keaschall won't be an OF option after spring training, especially with the lack of depth at 2nd.    

[bunsen82]

2 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

There are endless options. My frustration as a fan is that the Twins seem to get completely locked in on their own guys to the exclusion of the limitless options. Then as a predictable ending, the Twins add some tired vet at a bargain who is touted as a savior. It's not the vets fault and many have done pretty good. Problem is that "pretty good" seems to be the absolute best hope from the front office.

We hear the Twins can have a payroll around $120M. It sits at $96M now. Luke is the new left fielder with Byron in CF and Walker in RF (he is ready). Wallner is the DH. Roden and Martin are in the OF. The new 2B is Bo Bichette on a 9/$225M contract with $7M deferred. Larnach is traded even though I think he has value. Emmanuel is traded for Jared Jones or Edward Cabrera or even Tre' Morgan. Ober is traded for Lawler. Three or four trades is not crazy or impossible. There are a multitude of possibilities but it requires proactive thinking and a willingness to act. The payroll budget is not an impediment. Roster construction needs to be a priority. You will know that if Outman is on the roster come April. FWIW, I like some things about Outman, but there isn't room on my roster for him.

Its the same discussion I had the other day.  Twins need to pick a lane.  Right now they did the partial tear down and doing a partial rebuild and they can have an ok to good team but not good enough.  

I do the trade and build up at the same time.  I trade Ryan now - fans opinions be damned.  He will bring you back pieces now.  I get the best reliever I can - Fairbanks or Jansen.  If the season doesn't go well you can trade them at the deadline.  O'hearn is likely the best bat we can get.   I sign him as well.  Trade Larnach or a bucket of balls.  Get another RP.  Now maybe some of the roster construction changes with the Ryan trade.   Trading Ryan now maximizes his value.  

You are playing for a healthy 1st half from Pablo Lopez.  If he looks like a legit #1 or #2 starter you have another great trade chip at the deadline.  26 and 27 likely won't matter.  So saving these players isn't a big deal.  I would keep Jeffers - Buxton is questionable.  I would not be opposed to trading him either.  There are so many different moving parts.    You have 2 players at maximum value in Buxton and Ryan.  

[tony&rodney]

12 minutes ago, Chembry said:

There are people in the Twins organization that believe he is a better OF than 2nd baseman.  Keaschall played quite a bit of OF in the minors. 

My thoughts a year plus ago were that Luke looked much better in the outfield (watching games via milb.com) than he did in the infield. I don't object to having a fast aggressive left fielder, although we saw Austin Martin play very well once he was just stuck in the lineup. I object to the indecision and lack of forethought that accompanies how the Twins play around with their players. 

I mentioned signing Bo Bichette to a 9/$225M contract. This doable and he would be good at 1B or 2B. He also would give the Twins a reliable bat for the young players to feed off of on an every day basis. He also fits in the budget. 

I'm still hoping but the language that is used by Falvey indicates the current roster is pretty much set. Is the playing style set too?

[Brandon]

I would define a power hitter by their average in hitting extra base hits.  A .100 average is a solid power hitter that’s 50 extra base hits in 500 ABs.  A .110-.120 is all star level and above .120 is elite.  

[old nurse]

2 hours ago, Chembry said:

Boston non-tendered Lowe for several reasons:

1. He isn't worth the $13.5M projected arbitration, especially after the first half of the season for the Nationals.  However, he was right back to Texas level production in Boston.  

2. They already have a younger, cost controlled version of him in Casas.  Say what you will about Casas but he has better career OPS/OPS+ than Lowe.  He doesn't hit for as high average but he is more of a pure slugger.

2. They were after Alonso and are pursuing the 2 Japanese sluggers, Bregman, and Bichette.  They have flexibility in their infield to move pieces to fit whoever they sign. 

4. Red Sox have stated they are reluctant to go over the first luxury tax threshold (~$223M).  That doesn't allow them much flexibility (~$22M), and they didn't want Lowe's contract getting in the way of them signing Alonso, Bregman, Bichette, or either of the 2 Japanese sluggers.  They would go over the first threshold to sign a big name FA.  If they do sign a big name FA, they will also trade away Jarren Duran to get back down to the level of the first threshold.  They have also been rumored to shopping Yoshida and Hicks.  Its all laid out in the MLBTR article: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/11/latest-on-red-soxs-payroll-flexibility.html

 

If Boston was sold on Casas there wouldn’t be as many different sources saying they are willing to trade him

yes Lowe returned to Texas level in Boston. He was a 3 WAR player there. 13.5 is cheap for that. He was traded for a relief pitcher that was not a closer. There is something wrong with this picture. People here have advocated signing him. 

If Boston does sign players and is over the threshold leverage goes to a buying team in trades. . 

Boston should love to trade Hicks. To not pay the 24m over 2 years might cost 2 of their top 30 prospects for the return of organizational filler

[Chembry]

1 hour ago, old nurse said:

If Boston was sold on Casas there wouldn’t be as many different sources saying they are willing to trade him

yes Lowe returned to Texas level in Boston. He was a 3 WAR player there. 13.5 is cheap for that. He was traded for a relief pitcher that was not a closer. There is something wrong with this picture. People here have advocated signing him. 

If Boston does sign players and is over the threshold leverage goes to a buying team in trades. . 

Boston should love to trade Hicks. To not pay the 24m over 2 years might cost 2 of their top 30 prospects for the return of organizational filler

Texas traded Lowe because they wanted some salary relief and wanted to address bullpen deficiencies.  They had already acquired Jake Burger earlier in the offseason which made Lowe expendable.  Texas thought he could step in and replace Lowe.  Additionally, Burger was pre-arb at the time and just now getting to arb1. 

I didn't say Boston was sold on Casas.  I believe they view him as a backup option that is under team control for another 3 years.  I could be wrong, but I don't think Casas will get moved until they sign/trade for another IF.  But Casas is young and talented, just needs a change of scenery.  

[Steve J]

I think when the Twins say "power bat" I think they really mean someone who the opposing outfield will play at normal depth.  

[knothole61]

On 12/9/2025 at 9:40 AM, Riverbrian said:

Not always but trades tend to be Prospect for Vet or Vet for Prospect. 

Every once in awhile you find a match on a Vet for Vet or Prospect for Prospect. 

So... If you are trading a prospect that limits your options to the team collecting them.

There seems to be a low number of those teams this off-season according to the rumors. The Twins may not actually be looking for prospects if you believe the rumors. 

In the American League... The White Sox may be the only team looking for youth. In the National League... It may only be the Nats and Rockies with rumors of the Pirates being aggressive in the free agent market looking for hitting and the Marlins trying to move pitching for hitters. 

 

Could Luis Robert (who will turn 29 next season) be pried from the White Sox grasp for some young Twins? Would you, as president of baseball operations, consider pursuing that? 

[Riverbrian]

7 hours ago, knothole61 said:

Could Luis Robert (who will turn 29 next season) be pried from the White Sox grasp for some young Twins? Would you, as president of baseball operations, consider pursuing that? 

Probably not. The speed power combo would be a dream acquisition... the unrealized potential would be a 20 million dollar nightmare.

It would be a 20 million dollar bet that he can actually display that speed power combo enough to tempt you to pick up the 20 million club option after the season... which leads to another 20 million dollar bet.  

The guy just hasn't delivered on the hefty expectations placed on him for two seasons straight now.

I wonder what Chicago can get for him. All that talent... somebody probably feels like they can get him back to good. Maybe that pending free agency bounce that some display.

His performance was so bad that his price tag has cratered. Probably won't take a ton of trade capital so this one is all about the money. The money takes the me out... The Twins don't have the money available to swing and miss.

MLB Trade Rumors had 3 teams as in on him.

The Pirates are reportedly trying to find free agents who will take their money in an attempt to support their pitching. They may not find a significant free agent willing to live and eat in Pittsburgh. Trading for Robert might be an option for them at a very low price but what an incredible risk. The Pirates have never been flush with cash and they can't afford to miss when they finally say they are. I'd be shocked to see them take on Robert and add a Eugenio Suarez. How many big bats will the Pirates add. 

The Padres... who knows but my guess is that they would want Chicago to take on some of their hefty contracts. I really don't believe the Padres are working with money to spend. I believe they have to move some money just to spend some money. 

The Mets... Now that's a team that probably needs to test these waters. They can drop 20 million without much thought, they need a CF and it won't kill them if Robert makes it three straight bad years.

  

 

[tony&rodney]

The White Sox fell upon rough luck when Yoan Moncada crashed after outstanding 2019 and 2021 campaigns. Then, the Pale Hose suffered another expensive setback when the uber talented Luis Robert Jr. also fell apart after his great 2023 season. While Byron Buxton has had his fair share of injuries and poor luck, his performance is almost consistent compared to both of Moncada and Robert Jr., who were both quite expensive too.

Luis Robert Jr. would be a decent gamble for a team with $20M to drop. The payoff could be enormous. I don't see any decent return coming back to the White Sox in a trade. The team salary is low so it makes sense for Chicago to hold Robert Jr. unless they can get a potentially useful player for him. If Robert Jr. suddenly turns into Buxton of 2025 the CWS can trade him for a better player or keep him for his last option year 2027. The Mets are the only team that i see taking the gamble right now. If I was running the White Sox I keep Robert Jr.

[Riverbrian]

3 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

The White Sox fell upon rough luck when Yoan Moncada crashed after outstanding 2019 and 2021 campaigns. Then, the Pale Hose suffered another expensive setback when the uber talented Luis Robert Jr. also fell apart after his great 2023 season. While Byron Buxton has had his fair share of injuries and poor luck, his performance is almost consistent compared to both of Moncada and Robert Jr., who were both quite expensive too.

Luis Robert Jr. would be a decent gamble for a team with $20M to drop. The payoff could be enormous. I don't see any decent return coming back to the White Sox in a trade. The team salary is low so it makes sense for Chicago to hold Robert Jr. unless they can get a potentially useful player for him. If Robert Jr. suddenly turns into Buxton of 2025 the CWS can trade him for a better player or keep him for his last option year 2027. The Mets are the only team that i see taking the gamble right now. If I was running the White Sox I keep Robert Jr.

Phillies and the Dodgers should probably pick up the phone and kick tires. Maybe even the Yankees. 

The Mets really really have to address CF.

I like him on the Phillies as the best fit if they are trying to rebuild their OF and it seems they are. 

Dodgers... Can absorb his not rebounding. The Yankees have OF depth and can absorb his not rebounding. 

[tony&rodney]

28 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Phillies and the Dodgers should probably pick up the phone and kick tires. Maybe even the Yankees. 

The Mets really really have to address CF.

I like him on the Phillies as the best fit if they are trying to rebuild their OF and it seems they are. 

Dodgers... Can absorb his not rebounding. The Yankees have OF depth and can absorb his not rebounding. 

Yes. I totally get that the New York teams, Philly, and LAD like to dictate the terms on trades to their benefit but it is a little unusual that the Yankees, Phillies, and Mets haven't pushed the Twins more for Buxton. Robert Jr. will cost those teams something good or the Whities are fools because they can always just keep him. The Chicago payroll is very low and any performance that shows promise by Robert Jr. brings in Southsiders to their park and creates trade interest at the same time. Luis is so unpredictable. Meanwhile Buck looks young and spry. Those teams overwhelm Falvey with an offer of prospects too good to walk away from and they have their centerfielder. I'm not necessarily advocating to trade Buxton but other teams should be pushing. What does it take?

When the Twins say they are looking for a power bat, I wonder if the people who say those comments just go back home and watch football. I have seen nothing to indicate movement. 

[lecroy24fan]

Robert is a perfect fit for the Mets. More dysfunction.

[Riverbrian]

20 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Yes. I totally get that the New York teams, Philly, and LAD like to dictate the terms on trades to their benefit but it is a little unusual that the Yankees, Phillies, and Mets haven't pushed the Twins more for Buxton. Robert Jr. will cost those teams something good or the Whities are fools because they can always just keep him. The Chicago payroll is very low and any performance that shows promise by Robert Jr. brings in Southsiders to their park and creates trade interest at the same time. Luis is so unpredictable. Meanwhile Buck looks young and spry. Those teams overwhelm Falvey with an offer of prospects too good to walk away from and they have their centerfielder. I'm not necessarily advocating to trade Buxton but other teams should be pushing. What does it take?

When the Twins say they are looking for a power bat, I wonder if the people who say those comments just go back home and watch football. I have seen nothing to indicate movement. 

The White Sox... just plain shouldn't... not at this moment. Unless the Phillies and Mets get excited or panicked at the same time and drive the price up themselves. They often say players get a little more focused in a contract year. This is essentially a contract year. It's an important year for him. 

If he gets himself focused. The White Sox can trade him at the deadline to any team that is in contention looking for an upgrade. With a return to form from Robert and just a few teams actually selling with more teams buying. His value could explode upward because he's demonstrating the star value that his skills promised. The acquiring team will pick up that club option. The White Sox could be happy with the return. 

If Robert has another bad year... it just doesn't matter. A team might trade for him and they may pay the 8 million rental cost but the team that acquires him won't be picking up the option. He's a struggling two month rental Hail Mary that gets nothing back in a trade.

As for Buxton. I don't know... maybe they are? Buxton is a little more complicated with the no-trade clause and maybe the Twins are telling them that he isn't available. 

 

 

[tony&rodney]

21 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

As for Buxton. I don't know... maybe they are? Buxton is a little more complicated with the no-trade clause and maybe the Twins are telling them that he isn't available. 

 

Totally agree that we don't know anything related to Buxton. If i'm Cohen, the salaries for Buxton and Ryan are too enticing to just sit back on. I'm throwing out a huge, I mean huge offer that is going to drive NYCTK nuts. Yes, we know that Stearns is the guy who makes the deals but Cohen signs the checks and a win in 2026 puts the Mets value straight up. Are the Mets going to wait 2-3 years for the prospects to learn? Maybe. i think cohan is not inclined to wait. They are getting trashed for losing Diaz and Alonso. I think they made better choices with Polanco and Williams. Now is the time to go big. I really do not want the Twins to trade Ryan and Buxton but am looking at this from a Mets POV. Others will not see this the same way, naturally. FWIW, I'm also not big on the Mets prospects. I want Leodalis De Vries. He gets better every step up the food chain.

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Totally agree that we don't know anything related to Buxton. If i'm Cohen, the salaries for Buxton and Ryan are too enticing to just sit back on. I'm throwing out a huge, I mean huge offer that is going to drive NYCTK nuts. Yes, we know that Stearns is the guy who makes the deals but Cohen signs the checks and a win in 2026 puts the Mets value straight up. Are the Mets going to wait 2-3 years for the prospects to learn? Maybe. i think cohan is not inclined to wait. They are getting trashed for losing Diaz and Alonso. I think they made better choices with Polanco and Williams. Now is the time to go big. I really do not want the Twins to trade Ryan and Buxton but am looking at this from a Mets POV. Others will not see this the same way, naturally. FWIW, I'm also not big on the Mets prospects. I want Leodalis De Vries. He gets better every step up the food chain.

It's probably tough for Stearns to part with his prospects. He's not that far removed and probably still has Milwaukee juice on him.

Prospects were his lifeblood and now he has to think about them differently.